The passion for cycling for Lt. Yogesh Tiwari of the Indian Navy is almost merciless. For him, there are always new distances and experiences to cover. If there aren’t, he’ll invent them. And he’s still unable to apply the brakes on his cycling ambitions.
The 24-year-old holds a world record in the Limca Book of Records for cycling across 11 Himalayan passes, pedalling 906 km in 90 hours and 50 hours. He cycled non-stop from Rohtang Pass on June 29, 2014, to reach Khardung La on July 3, 2014. He also holds a National Record for accomplishing the longest non-stop bicycling expedition in 2013.
Braving the weather
Braving natural extremities like rains, landslide, hail and snow was a Herculean task, but that didn’t deter his indomitable spirit. Adding to the difficulty was their continuous fight for sleep and fatigue, low oxygen concentration at high altitude was again a major hurdle.
Yogesh is one of the Super Randonneurs from Andhra Pradesh to be conferred the medal from Audax Club Parisien (ACP) for successfully completing 600-km BRM (Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux) recently.
“Cycling for me is an addiction. I sometimes cycle throughout the night till my office hours begin,” says Yogesh. He doesn’t like to ride easy. Stacking the odds against himself gives him the thrill to push himself further. He has set his goal to participate in the highest international endurance cycling event Race Across America (RAAM), the annual transcontinental bicycle race from the west to east coast of the USA. “I tried my luck in 2014, but could not qualify. This time I am determined to get through. RAAM is the toughest endurance race in the world. In fact, till now not a single Indian has managed to even complete the race,” adds Yogesh. To participate in RAAM, Yogesh has to qualify in two races – Desert 500 and Deccan Cliffhanger. For Desert 500, he has to ride 685 km in 27 hours in toughest of conditions in Rajasthan. Deccan Cliffhanger is an endurance cycling test in which one needs to cover 650 km in 32 hours crossing three major climbs. “This will be my supreme test. My aim is to qualify for the RAAM in July next year. Before that I will be going on a mountaineering expedition to Mt. Everest,” he adds.
